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Building industry groups agree to streamline green building tool coordination and development

Washington, D.C. — The International Code Council (ICC), ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) signed a memorandum to collaborate on the development of Standard 189.1, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and the LEED green building program. The unprecedented cooperation aims to create a comprehensive framework for jurisdictions looking to implement and adopt green building regulations and codes and/or provide incentives for voluntary leadership programs such as LEED.

The agreement outlines the development, maintenance and implementation of new versions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings and the IgCC, which will be combined into one regulatory tool. This agreement also endeavors to align the LEED program with the new code to ensure a streamlined, effective set of regulatory and above-code options for jurisdictions across the country.

“Architects have become the leaders in employing green building techniques, and the IgCC, a valuable regulatory tool, provides support leading to the creation of a sustainable, resilient built environment,” said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “This agreement, which underscores the AIA’s dedication to sustainable design and construction, should lead to more rapid adoption of responsible approaches by designers, builders, developers and a host of other building industry groups.”

“ASHRAE sees this as a move forward in green building, reducing fragmentation of compliance documents for users who are pressing toward a more sustainable environment,” ASHRAE President Tom Phoenix said.

“Working collaboratively with our industry partners is producing real results that will help improve building performance, streamline regulation, reduce cost and allow us to focus our resources on goals we have in common,” said Dominic Sims, CBO, ICC CEO. “This agreement continues the partnership we began in 2012 and assures that our Members and partners have a meaningful role in shaping the future of the built environment.”

“The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America is pleased to partner with the other organizations in this important collaborative effort in the development of a new standard and green code for the design and construction industry,” said Rita Harrold, IES Director of Technology. “IES members will benefit from this alignment of both regulatory and voluntary tools, and we look forward to participating in delivering technical provisions for code intended adoption.”

“This landmark agreement will leverage the unique strengths of each of the five partner organizations to deliver a coordinated, integrated suite of green building tools. An ANSI standard as the basis of a regulatory code to push the market and a rating system to pull the market higher,” said Brendan Owens, Vice President, LEED, and U.S. Green Building Council. “We are collectively dedicated to advancing green building practices and to advancing the broader industry’s understanding about the importance of green building goals and how to achieve them.”